Fairy tales for children with wise meaning. Wise tales

The communication between the tsar and the soldier in the Russian folk tale “Wise Answers” ​​developed in an interesting way. The king asked tricky riddles, and the soldier answered them. The king, apparently, was a big fan of riddles, because he asked them not only to the soldier, but also to his other subjects.

"Wise Answers"
Russian folktale

The soldier served in the regiment for twenty-five years, but never saw the Tsar in person. Came home. They began to ask him about the Tsar, but he didn’t know what to say. So his relatives and acquaintances began to reproach him:
“Look,” they say, “I served for twenty-five years, but never saw the Tsar!”

It seemed insulting to him; got ready and went to see the king. Came to the palace. The king asks:
- Why, soldier?
- So and so, your royal majesty! I served you and God for twenty-five whole years, but I didn’t see you in person: I came to look.
- Well look.

The soldier walked around the king three times, looking at everything. The king asks:
-Am I good?
“Good,” the soldier answers.
- Well, now, servant, tell me: is the sky high from the earth?
- So high that it would knock there, but you can hear it here.
- Is the earth wide?
- The sun rises over there, and there it sets - it’s so wide!
– Is the earth deep?
“Yes, I had a grandfather, he died ninety years ago, he was buried in the ground, and hasn’t been home since then: that’s right, deep!

Then the king sent the soldier to prison and said to him:
- Don't be bad, service! I will send thirty geese to you; know how to pull out a pen.
- OK!

The king called thirty rich merchants and asked them the same riddles that he asked the soldier; They thought and thought, could not give an answer, and the king ordered them to be put in prison for this. The soldier asks them:
- Well done merchants, why were you imprisoned?
- Yes, you see, the sovereign is interrogating us: how far is heaven from the earth, and how wide the earth is, and how deep it is; and we, ignorant people, could not give an answer.
- Give me a thousand rubles each - I’ll tell you the truth.
- If you please, brother; just teach.

He took the soldiers from them for a thousand and taught them how to solve the royal riddles. Two days later the king summoned both the merchants and the soldier. He asked the merchants the same riddles, and as soon as they guessed, he sent them back to their places.
- Well, service, did you manage to pull off the feather?
- He did it, Tsar-Sovereign, and for gold too!
- How far are you from home?
- You can’t see from here - it’s far away, therefore!
- Here's a thousand rubles for you; go in peace!

The soldier returned home and lived freely and richly.
***

The question is often asked at school: which Russian folk tales contain riddles? These include the Russian folk tale “Wise Answers” ​​(from the collection of A.N. Afanasyev). The title of the fairy tale speaks for itself. Moreover, the riddles in the fairy tale “Wise Answers” ​​are complex; you need to think carefully about their answers. The answers are not just some objects, for example, a pot, a felt boot, a turnip, but entire philosophical arguments. The soldier in the fairy tale turned out to be wise, but the rich merchants, numbering thirty people, did not.

A parable about looking at the world

There was a small crooked tree growing by the road. One night a thief ran past. He saw a silhouette from a distance and fearfully thought that a policeman was standing by the road, so he ran away in fear.

One evening a young man in love passed by. He saw a slender silhouette from afar and decided that his beloved was already waiting for him. He was happy and walked faster.

One day a mother and child walked past the tree. The kid, frightened by the scary fairy tales, thought that a ghost was peeping out by the road and burst into tears loudly.

But... a tree was always just a tree.

The world around us is just a reflection of ourselves.

The Parable of Two Snowflakes

Illustration: Jan Pashley

It was snowing. It was quiet and calm, and fluffy snowflakes slowly circled in a whimsical dance, slowly approaching the ground.

Two small snowflakes flying nearby struck up a conversation. To prevent them from being blown away from each other, they held hands and one snowflake cheerfully said:
- What an incredible feeling of flight!
“We don’t fly, we just fall,” the second answered sadly.
- Soon we will meet the earth and turn into a white fluffy blanket!
- No, we are flying towards death, and on the ground they will simply trample us.
- We will become streams and rush to the sea. We will live forever! - said the first one.
“No, we will melt and disappear forever,” the second objected to her.

Finally they got tired of arguing.

They unclenched their hands, and each flew towards the fate they had chosen.

Parable of the Tree

One tree suffered greatly because it was small, crooked and ugly. All the other trees in the neighborhood were much taller and more beautiful. The tree really wanted to become just like them, so that its branches would flutter beautifully in the wind.

But the tree grew on the slope of a cliff. Its roots clung to a small piece of soil that had accumulated in a crevice between the stones. An icy wind rustled through its branches. The sun illuminated it only in the morning, and in the afternoon it hid behind the rock, giving its light to other trees growing lower down the slope. It was simply impossible for the tree to grow any larger, and it cursed its unfortunate fate.

But one morning, when the first rays of the sun illuminated it, it looked at the valley below and realized that life was not so bad. A magnificent view opened before him. None of the trees growing below could see even a tenth of this wonderful panorama.

A rock ledge protected him from snow and ice. Without its crooked trunk, knotted and strong branches, the tree simply could not survive in this place. It had its own unique style and took its place. It was unique.

A parable about why someone else's wife is sweeter

In ancient times, the Lord blinded ten Adams. One of them plowed the land, another herded sheep, the third fished... After some time, they came to their Father with a request:
– Everything is there, but something is missing. We're bored.

The Lord gave them the dough and said:
- Let everyone blind a woman at his own discretion, whatever he likes: plump, thin, tall, small... And I will breathe life into them.

After this, the Lord brought out sugar on a platter and said:
- There are ten pieces here. Let everyone take one and give it to his wife so that life with her will be sweet.
Everyone did just that.

The Lord frowned:
“There is a rogue among you, for there were eleven lumps of sugar on the platter.” Who took two pieces?

Everyone was silent.
The Lord took their wives from them, mixed them up, and then distributed them to whomever he got.

Since then, nine out of ten men think that someone else's wife is sweeter... Because she ate an extra piece of sugar.

And only one of Adam knows that all women are the same, because he himself ate the extra piece of sugar.

Parable about the real price

One merchant purchased a large diamond in Africa, the size of a pigeon egg. It had one drawback - there was a small crack inside. The merchant turned to the jeweler for advice and he said:

“This stone can be split into two parts, from which two magnificent diamonds will be obtained, each of which will be many times more expensive than a diamond.” But a careless blow can break this miracle of nature into a handful of tiny pebbles that will cost a penny. I don't dare take that risk.

Others responded the same way. But one day he was advised to contact an old jeweler from London, a master with golden hands. He examined the stone and again talked about the risks. The merchant said that he already knew this story by heart. Then the jeweler agreed to help, citing a good price for the work.

When the merchant agreed, the jeweler called his young apprentice. He took the stone in his palm and hit the diamond once with a hammer, breaking it into two equal parts. The merchant asked admiringly:
– How long has he been working for you?
- It’s only the third day. He doesn't know the real price of this stone, and that's why his hand was firm.

Parable about happiness

Artist: Thomas Kinkade

Happiness was walking through the forest, enjoying nature, when suddenly it fell into a hole. Sits and cries. A man walked past, Happiness heard the man and shouted from the pit:



– I want a big and beautiful house with a view of the sea, the most expensive one.
Happiness gave a man a beautiful house by the sea, he was happy, ran away and forgot about Happiness. Happiness sits in a hole and cries even louder.

A second man walked past, heard the man’s happiness and shouted to him:
- Good man! Get me out of here.
– What will you give me for this? - asks the man.
- And what do you want? - asked Happiness.
– I want a lot of beautiful and expensive cars, of various brands.
The man was given Happiness by what he asked for, the man was delighted, forgot about Happiness and ran away. Happiness has completely lost hope.

Suddenly he hears a third person coming, Happiness shouted to him:
- Good man! Get me out of here.
The man pulled Happiness out of the hole and moved on. Happiness was delighted, ran after him and asked:
- Human! What do you want for helping me?
“I don’t need anything,” the man answered.
So Happiness ran after the person, never lagging behind him.

A parable about where happiness is hidden

The old wise cat was lying on the grass and basking in the sun. Then a small, nimble kitten rushed past her. He somersaulted past the cat, then jumped up briskly and began running in circles again.

What are you doing? – the cat asked lazily.
- I'm trying to catch my tail! – out of breath, the kitten answered.
- But why? – the cat laughed.
- I was told that the tail is my happiness. If I catch my tail, then I will catch my happiness. So I’ve been chasing my tail for three days now. But he keeps eluding me.

The old cat smiled the way only old cats can do and said:
- When I was young, they also told me that my happiness was in my tail. I spent many days chasing my tail and trying to grab it. I didn’t eat, I didn’t drink, I just chased my tail. I fell exhausted, got up and again tried to catch my tail. At some point I despaired. And she just went wherever she looked. And do you know what I suddenly noticed?

What? – the kitten asked in surprise.
- I noticed that wherever I go, my tail follows me everywhere. You don't have to run for happiness. You must choose your path, and happiness will go with you.

Wise Fairy Tale for Children Remizov

1
There was one rich merchant. He had a son, Vanyushka, and he was so smart - he didn’t go anywhere, not to feasts, not to conversations, nowhere.
- Why is it that our son doesn’t go anywhere, doesn’t know anyone? We need to marry him!
“And you send him to talk,” his mother advises.
Father to son:
- Why don’t you go anywhere, Vanyushka?
“Where am I going, darling, I don’t know anyone.”
“You should at least go talk to the girls.”
- Okay, I’ll go.
His father gave him three rubles of money.
“Go,” he says, “buy some gifts and go to a conversation, treat the girls.”
Vanyushka bought gifts, walks around the city, wondering where to go.
“It is indecent to attend a gentleman’s conversation, but scary to attend a merchant’s conversation. I’ll go where the bourgeois women sit, it’s easier there!”
And he went to a bourgeois conversation.
The girls are sitting and having a big conversation. Everyone is happy to see him: I’ve never been to a conversation.
One lively girl, Tanya, ran out to him:
- Please, please, this is the place!
Vanyushka sat down next to her. Gave her gifts.
- Here, Tanya, treat your friends.
Tanya took one round of her friends and the rest for herself. And he gave the money that he had left to Tanya.
“I don’t need it,” he says, “we, daddy, have a lot of money!” - and went home.
Father meets you at home.
- Well, Vanyushka, did you like the conversation?
- It’s okay, darling, it’s good. Liked.
- And you can go the next evening. It’s possible, but for me, darling, this money is not enough. Give me five rubles.
Father gave money.
And the next evening Vanyushka took as many gifts as he needed and went to the conversation. And again he sits down with Tanya. And again he gave her the money. And she went to accompany him.
And Vanyushka began to go every evening. And he keeps asking his father for money, doubled, doubled: he went up to twenty-five rubles and went up to thirty.
The father grabbed it.
“It was not a good time that we sent our son to talk.” Now he will ruin us.
- He sent me to talk to you! - answered the mother.
– Isn’t it better to marry him?
- So what, wife?
Father to son:
- Vanyushka, would you like to get married?
- Well, darling, get married.
- Whom do you order to marry?
- Woo Tanya. The girl is good.
The father resisted.
- We don’t need one like that. It’s not like going to the house, but you don’t need to go to the house.
“But I don’t need any more.”
- Under the fence! - the mother stood up, - yes, we will find smart, reasonable, pious brides for you, from a good father and mother, with a large estate, with a large dowry.
- Well, as you wish. Whoever you take, I’ll live with,” Vanyushka agreed.
2
We went to make a match and got a bride who was smart, reasonable, pious, from a good father and mother, with a large estate, with a large dowry. And they married Vanyushka. It was a good, rich wedding. After the feast the young people were put to bed. And they settled down themselves. Everything was quiet everywhere. No one began to walk in the house anymore.
Vanyushka says to Masha:

- Well, go with God.
And he went and returned on time: everyone was still asleep. And in the morning they came to wake up the young people, they saw two of them. Nobody found out, and she didn't tell anyone.
The next day we went to Masha’s relatives, to her father and mother on the allotments. We also walked there. They began to prepare the bed for the young people upstairs. Vanyushka says to Masha:
“I won’t lie down there, get ready downstairs, closer to the doors.”
She begged her mother and they made a bed downstairs.
And as everyone settled down, as everything became quiet and silent, he again:
- Stay, wife, I’ll go to Tanya.
And so every night he walks and walks. And the wife, like a stranger, will not touch you with her finger. He walks around, dragging everything out of the house.
Father and mother began to notice.
- Tell me, Mashenka, does Vanyushka go anywhere from you?
- No, Vanyushka doesn’t go anywhere from me. Everything is with me all the time.
Well, you can’t fool old people, you found out yourself.
- We need to send him abroad. Maybe he’ll lag behind Tanya.
“Send him,” the mother agreed.
Father to son:
- Vanyushka, won’t you go and do some trading abroad? I'll load a ship with goods for you.
- Well! I'll go, darling.
The matter was not delayed for long; the father loaded the ship with goods.
- Sell your goods, buy foreign goods and come home again.
- What kind of gift should I bring from abroad, my dear?
- Bring me a hat worth fifty rubles.
- What should I bring you, mummy?
- Bring me a shawl for a hundred rubles.
- Okay, mommy, I’ll bring it.
He turned to his wife.
- What do you need?
“I don’t need anything: I have plenty of everything.” And bring some wisdom, Vanyushka.
- Okay, I'll bring it.
He ran to Tanya.
- Trade food abroad. What gift should I bring you, Tanya?
- Bring a five-hundred-ruble coat.
- Okay, I'll bring it. But how can I give it to you?
- Come to the pier when I return.
I said goodbye and left.
3
Vanyushka came abroad. A ship landed on the pier. And trade began, such trade began, and it does not dress up: whatever he asks, they give. He sold all the goods at the highest price, and collected foreign goods at the cheapest price. And he bought gifts: a hat for his father, a shawl for his mother, a cloak for Tanya, and all that remained was to buy his wife some sense.
“Where can I buy brains?” - walks around the city, thinks: it’s impossible for him to go home without his mind!
I went into one store, the largest one, overseas.
- What, gentlemen, is there a corrupt mind?
We laughed.
“Fool,” they say, “we have minds, but to ourselves, fool!”
He closed his eyes, walked out in shame, walked through the city - the little head was hanged.
Oh, he meets a ragged drunkard.
-What are you thinking about, my dear? Is the little head hung?
- Go away, what does it matter to you! – the ragged drunk waved him off.
And they separated.
And I walked a little and changed my mind.
“People like that might know better where to buy intelligence!”
“Stop,” he shouts, “hey, friend, come back!”
The drunkard is right there.
- Well, what do you need?
– Do you know where they sell minds? My wife told me to buy it, it’s impossible for me to come home without my mind.
- Come with me! I'll find as much as you want.
Well, of course, where to - to the tavern in Sympathy. The drunkard brought him to Sympathy and sat him down at a table.
“Sit,” he says, “here.” Me now. I’ll do this for you, I’ll make you smart, but smart is precious - seven hundred rubles.
- Seven hundred, so seven hundred!
The drunkard walked around for a long time. Finally he appeared, carrying a bundle under his arm: a bundle in a matting, wrapped tightly in ropes.
- Please give me some money, seven hundred rubles.
Vanyushka counted out the money, and he gave him a bundle.
– Don’t look home, otherwise your mind will leave you.
Vanyushka took the bundle and went to the ship. There, in the cabin, he closed the windows and door and put the bundle in the corner. And they began to hit the road.
You never know, we traveled a lot of places, and this little bundle began to torment him.
“Why did I pay seven hundred rubles for? What will I bring home for my wife?” - that’s all I can think about, it’s all torment.
And Vanyushka went into the cabin, locked himself, and behind the bundle. Confused, confused - unraveled. And there are thin trousers, torn and torn, and a tattered jacket, and a torn, thin cap, and ragged boots without tops, only cats.
He slapped himself in frustration:
- So that’s why I paid seven hundred!
He grabbed the trash into his arms and carried it - where to? - only at sea. And as soon as he raised his hand to throw him into the sea, he suddenly stopped. “Wouldn’t it be better if you take me home?”
And he returned to the cabin and threw the trash into the corner.
4
Vanyushka arrived home a day early. The ship pulled up to the pier. He went into the cabin, pulled out the bundle, dressed in this vest, and put on his shoes. And he left the ship as a beggar.
Comes to his father's house. He prayed at the threshold, asking for alms for Christ's sake.
My father came out and took out thirty kopecks.
- Accept, beggar, alms! Pray for my son Vanyushka.
And his mother gives him fifty dollars.
– Pray for our son Vanyushka.
The wife comes out, carrying a ruble.
- Accept, beggar, alms. Pray for my dear husband Vanyushka, that the Lord may give him sanity.
Vanyushka bowed to his father, mother and wife and went from the yard to Tanyushka.
Tanya has a fire, the door is not locked. Entered the house. And there is a table there, like a buffet. There are various snacks, drinks, and glasses on the table. And this redhead sits at her table. They embrace and kiss. Both are drunk.
“As long as I’m alive, I won’t leave you alone!” – Tanya slammed her fist on the table, “and I won’t leave Vanka alone until I let him go around the world.”
- For Christ's sake!
I threw in three kopecks.
- Get the hell out!
Vanyushka came out and crossed himself.
– Glory to You, Lord! I don’t feel sorry for the money either: don’t tear it up, I bought my mind!
Vanyushka returned to the ship. He got dressed, got ready, and waited for the light. And how light it became, Tanya was riding towards him in a troika.
- Is everything okay? How are you, Tanya?
Tanya cried.
– Don’t ask about me! Without you, I cried too much, became sad. Did you bring me a gift?
- I brought it, I brought it.
And he went into the cabin and she followed him.
And when they entered the cabin, he grabbed her and, well, crushed and trampled on her. He tore everything up - all covered in blood. Like throwing away a piece of meat.
Cab drivers don't take them.
“We have,” they say, “a lady was traveling!” And what's that? A piece of meat.
Vanyushka did not turn around, but went to the house - to his father and mother.
Everyone greets him - his father, his mother, and his wife.
He greeted his father, mother and wife. He looked around and began giving gifts.
I gave my father the hat.
“Here’s a fifty-ruble hat for you, darling.” Is it good?
- Good, Vanyushka.
He gave the mother a shawl.
“Here’s a hundred ruble shawl for you, mummy.” Is it good?
- Good, Vanyushka.
He gives the cloak to his wife.
“Here’s a five-hundred-ruble coat for you, dear wife.”
Mashenka was so happy.
– Glory to You, Lord! You gave him, Lord, intelligence!
And they began to live in a good way.

One day an old Chinese teacher said to his student:

Please take a good look around this room and try to notice anything that is brown in color.

The young man looked around. There were a lot of brown objects in the room: wooden picture frames, a light brown sofa. Curtain rod, desks, books and many other small things.

Now close your eyes and list all the objects... blue.

The young man smiled:

I didn't notice anything blue.

Open your eyes. Just look at how many blue things there are here. It was true: blue vase, blue photo frames, blue bark pattern, blue books on the shelves, blue Old Chinese shirt. - Look at all these missing items!

But this is a trick,” said the young man. - After all, I was looking for brown, not blue objects.

This is exactly what I wanted to show! You searched and found only brown, completely missing the blue. The same thing happens in life: you look for and find the bad, but miss all the good.

I was always taught to expect the worst because then you will never be disappointed.

This is the common opinion,” said the Old Chinese. - But it is false and is a belief that most often destroys our dreams and does not allow us to feel happiness.

But why? - asked the young man. - If I expect the worst and it actually happens, I am not disappointed. But if it doesn't happen, a pleasant surprise awaits me. If I hope for the best, I only run the risk of disappointment.

Because if you expect the worst, you will invariably encounter it, and vice versa. Believing in the benefits of expecting the worst causes us to lose sight of all the good things that happen in our lives. Many famous and rich people who have everything imaginable manage to get depressed and become drug addicts.

Because instead of thinking about everything they have, they focus on what they don't have, and therefore only "see" what they lack. Thus, they make themselves unhappy. On the other hand, many people who live very frugal lifestyles are truly happy because they focus on what they have. This is why a person who considers his glass half full is happier than one who considers it half empty.

Our feelings about life events are determined by the content that we associate with them, and not by the circumstances themselves. Yet seeing the positive side of a situation is not always easy. That's when these questions will come in handy for you. They force us to look for something wonderful in a situation, and we will certainly find it, just as when you consciously searched for the color blue in this room, you began to see only it.

This is what they mean when they say that there is something good in every situation, and every problem is a gift in disguise. Any point of view can be changed, and through this we can ensure that any experience enriches our lives.

Amazing! exclaimed the young man. - So people can consciously change their attitude towards a situation by expecting the best, focusing on what brings them good, and asking themselves affirmative questions?

Exactly. One girl was very worried, nervous and thought about the most terrible things before the exam, although she knew the subject. But her worries made it very difficult for her to concentrate. And then she said to herself: “In just two or three hours, all this will be over, I will get a good grade and will be completely free.” And she went and passed the exam with flying colors. The essence of creating a healthy, happy attitude towards life can be boiled down to one word - "gratitude". Every day ask yourself the question: “What can I be grateful for today?”

But what if there is nothing to be grateful for on this day? - asked the young man.

The old Chinese looked at him with raised eyebrows:

Several years ago I was visiting a dying friend. He did not look depressed at all, but was calm and even joyful. “I woke up this morning, which means I’m alive today,” my friend said...

Christmas night. S. Lagerlöf.

It was on Christmas Eve. Everyone went to church except grandma and me. I think we two were alone in the whole house; only my grandmother and I couldn’t go with everyone, because she was too old and I was too young. We were both sad that we wouldn't hear Christmas carols or see the sacred lights.

When we sat down, alone, on grandma’s sofa, grandma began to tell:

“One day, late at night, a man went looking for fire. He walked from one house to another and knocked:
- Good people, help me! - he said. - Give me hot coals to make a fire: I need to warm the newly born Baby and His Mother.
The night was deep, all the people were sleeping, and no one answered him.

A man seeking fire approached the herd; three huge dogs lying at the shepherd’s feet jumped up when they heard someone else’s steps; they opened their wide mouths as if they wanted to bark, but the sound of barking did not break the silence of the night. The man saw how the fur rose on the backs of the dogs, how sharp teeth of dazzling whiteness sparkled in the darkness, and the dogs rushed at him. One of them grabbed his leg, the other grabbed his arm, the third grabbed his throat; but the teeth and jaws did not obey the dogs, they could not bite the stranger and did not cause him the slightest harm.
The man wanted to go to the fire to get some fire. But the sheep lay so close to one another that their backs were touching, and he could not go forward any further. Then the man climbed onto the backs of the animals and walked along them towards the fire. And not a single sheep woke up or moved.”

Until now, I had listened to my grandmother’s story without interrupting, but then I couldn’t resist asking:
- Why didn’t the sheep move? - I asked my grandmother.
“You’ll find out a little later,” answered the grandmother and continued the story:
“When the man approached the fire, a shepherd noticed him. He was an old, gloomy man who was cruel and harsh to all people. Seeing a stranger, he grabbed a long, pointed stick with which he was driving his herd, and threw it forcefully at the stranger. The stick flew straight at the man, but without touching him, it turned to the side and fell somewhere far away in the field.”

At this point I interrupted my grandmother again:
- Grandma, why didn’t the stick hit the man? - I asked; but my grandmother did not answer me and continued her story.
“The man approached the shepherd and said to him:
- Good friend! Help me, give me some fire.
A Baby has just been born; I need to make a fire to warm the Little One and His Mother.
The shepherd would most readily refuse a stranger. But when he remembered that the dogs could not bite this man, and the stick did not hit him, as if it did not want to harm him, the shepherd felt terrible and he did not dare refuse the stranger’s request.
“Take as much as you need,” he told the man.

But the fire has almost gone out. The twigs and branches had long since burned out, only blood-red coals remained, and the man was thinking with care and bewilderment about how to bring the hot coals to him.
Noticing the stranger's difficulty, the shepherd repeated to him again:
- Take as much as you need!

He thought with gloating that man would not be able to take fire. But the stranger bent down, took hot coals from the ashes with his bare hands and put them in the hem of his cloak. And the coals not only did not burn his hands when he took them out, but did not burn his cloak either, and the stranger walked calmly back, as if in his cloak he was carrying not hot coals, but nuts or apples.”
Here again I could not resist asking:
- Grandmother! Why didn't they burn the man's coals and burn through his cloak?
“You’ll find out soon,” the grandmother answered and began to tell further.
“The old, gloomy, angry shepherd was amazed at everything he saw.
“What kind of night is this,” he asked himself, “in which dogs don’t bite, sheep don’t get scared, sticks don’t hit and fire doesn’t burn?”

He called out to the stranger and asked him:
- What a wonderful night it is today? And why do animals and objects show you mercy?
“I can’t tell you this if you don’t see it yourself,” answered the stranger and went his way, hurrying to make a fire to warm the Mother and Baby.
But the shepherd did not want to lose sight of him until he knew what it all meant. He got up and followed the stranger, and reached his home.
Then the shepherd saw that this man lived not in a house or even in a hut, but in a cave under a rock; the walls of the cave were bare, made of stone, and a strong cold came from them. Here lay Mother and Child.
Although the shepherd was a callous, harsh man, he felt sorry for the innocent Baby who could freeze in the rocky cave, and the old man decided to help Him. He took the sack off his shoulders, untied it, took out a soft, warm, fluffy sheepskin, and handed it to the stranger to wrap the Baby in.

But at the same moment, when the shepherd showed that he, too, could be merciful, his eyes and ears were opened, and he saw what he could not see before, and heard what he could not hear before.
He saw that the cave was surrounded by many angels with silver wings and snow-white robes. They all hold harps in their hands and sing loudly, praising the Savior of the world who was born on this night, who will free people from sin and death.

Then the shepherd understood why all the animals and objects that night were so kind and merciful that they did not want to harm anyone.
Angels were everywhere; they surrounded the Baby, sat on the mountain, soared under the skies. Everywhere there was rejoicing and fun, singing and music; The dark night now sparkled with many heavenly lights, glowing with a bright light emanating from the dazzling clothes of the angels. And the shepherd saw and heard all this on that wonderful night, and was so glad that his eyes and ears were opened that he fell to his knees and thanked God.”

Then the grandmother sighed and said:
- What the shepherd saw, we could also see, because angels fly over the earth every Christmas night and praise the Savior, but if only we were worthy of it.

And grandma put her hand on my head and said:
- Note to yourself that all this is as true as the fact that I see you, and you see me. Neither candles, nor lamps, nor the sun, nor the moon will help a person: only a pure heart opens the eyes with which a person can enjoy seeing the beauty of heaven.

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